MH370 Phase 1 150m Bathymetry: Seafloor Topography of the Southern Indian Ocean

The Southern Indian Ocean seafloor is mapped in this bathymetric dataset collected to support the search for missing flight MH370. Geoscience Australia provided expertise for surveys conducted from June 2014 to February 2017, acquiring over 710,000 square kilometres of data. The dataset presents bathymetry at 150-meter resolution, overlain on a hillshade for topographic visualization.

Use Cases

• Modeling underwater terrain and slope stability based on detailed seafloor topography.
• Analyzing geological features and sediment transport patterns based on the 150-meter resolution bathymetric grid.
• Supporting marine research and habitat mapping based on the high-resolution survey data covering over 710,000 square kilometres.
• Creating visualizations and derived maps based on the integrated hillshade layer with specified illumination parameters.

Strengths

• Covers over 710,000 square kilometres of the Southern Indian Ocean.
• Provides a consistent 150-meter resolution grid for the search and transit areas.
• Includes a derived hillshade layer created with specific azimuth and altitude parameters for enhanced visualization.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is explicitly not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its application scope.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, with data acquisition led by Geoscience Australia for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

Collection Method

Bathymetric data acquired by multibeam sonar mounted on the hull of multiple vessels.

Time Range

June 2014 to February 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 05:39:48.538937; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the MH370 search area and transit lines.